Gophers basketball: With Shaka Smart out, how about Flip Saunders as coach?

Flip Saunders, who coached the Timberwolves to eight consecutive playoff appearances from 1996 to 2004, has been out of the NBA since the Washington Wizards fired him last year. He spent much of his down time during the 2012-13 basketball season hanging around the Gophers program. (AP file photo/Nick Wass)

Flip Saunders isn't at the top of athletics director Norwood Teague's list to be the Gophers' next basketball coach.

Teague's guy appeared to be Virginia Commonwealth coach Shaka Smart, who announced Wednesday night, March 27, that he would sign a contract extension with the Rams, despite reported offers from Minnesota and UCLA.

But Saunders is at the top of former Gophers coach Jim Dutcher's list.

"I think he would be a very popular choice," said Dutcher, who coached Saunders at Minnesota from 1975-77 and had him as an assistant from 1981-86.

Saunders, 58, who coached the Timberwolves to eight consecutive playoff appearances from 1996 to 2004, has been out of the NBA since the Washington Wizards fired him last year, 17 games into his third season with the team. He spent much of his down time during the 2012-13 basketball season hanging around the Gophers program.

He attended practices and games. He was at the games of some of the area's top high school recruits, such as heralded point guard Tyus Jones, a junior who led Apple Valley to a state championship last week with Michigan State's Tom Izzo and Saunders sitting next to each other in the crowd. Saunders even gave Izzo a ride from the airport.

"That was a funny story," Apple Valley coach Zach Goring said.

Saunders was a top prospect the past two times the Gophers went shopping for a head coach, after Clem Haskins and Dan Monson were fired, but he was happy coaching in the NBA. That no longer being the case, the timing for him to return to his alma mater would be much better now.

Advertisement

Would Saunders listen this time? You bet he would, said Dutcher.

"I think he'd strongly consider the job," he said.

But are the Gophers strongly considering Saunders? It doesn't appear so.

Smart was Teague's first choice, and there was speculation that Smart was in Minnesota on Tuesday and/or Wednesday. But reports in Richmond, Va.

Virginia Commonwealth coach Shaka Smart, rumored to be at the top of the Gophers coach search list, has agreed to a contract extension at VCU. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

, were accurate -- Smart was there and close to agreeing to a restructured contract. He is expected to sign a contract extension at VCU this week, a deal that reportedly will pay him $1.5 million per year, up from $1.2 million, and lock him up through 2023.

Dutcher said he supports whatever decision Teague makes to replace Smith. He said the Gophers should go after top young college coaches such as Smart, Stevens and Hoiberg.

But what happens if he can't land such a coach? Then the local guy, who doesn't need money and doesn't come with a contract buyout, starts looking pretty good.

"Flip Saunders would be the perfect candidate," Dutcher said. "He certainly knows the game of basketball. He played for me at Minnesota. He was on my staff at Minnesota. He was on J.D. Barnett's staff at Tulsa, and then he took the pro direction. I'm hard pressed to find anything negative about Flip."

Saunders had negative things to say about the Gophers on his Twitter account (@Flip--Saunders) during their loss to Illinois in the Big Ten tournament on March 14.

At one point, Saunders wrote "I'm sick" as the Gophers turned the ball over in the final seconds and Illinois converted with the winning basket. Later, he tweeted: "FYI when I Tweet I Tweet as a Golden Gopher Fan period. I want all r sports, mens and women's to win."

Saunders has been knocked on Twitter by some fans for not being the right hire for the Gophers. People have said he might not be able to recruit and relate to high school players at his age. Smith, 61, seemed to have that problem.

"He's not 35 or anything," Dutcher said. "But Flip's got a lot of energy. He certainly has a lot of enthusiasm for the game."

Another criticism is that Saunders' only head coaching experience is with pros: eight seasons with three teams in the minor league Continental Basketball Association and then parts of 16 seasons with three teams (Timberwolves, Pistons, Wizards) in the NBA.

But Dutcher pointed out former NBA coaches who have succeeded in college: Louisville's Rick Pitino, Kentucky's John Calipari, California's Mike Montgomery and Oklahoma's Lon Kruger.

Would Saunders be willing to put in the work it takes to land players such as Jones or the other members of the "Big Three," Cooper guard Rashad Vaughn and DeLaSalle post player Reid Travis? He already has seen them.

Now an ESPN NBA analyst, Saunders still is visible to a younger generation. He has defended himself on local radio, saying he definitely would put in the time to recruit if the opportunity came to coach in college.

Saunders' son Ryan is an assistant with the Washington Wizards. But the younger Saunders has ties to the local high school scene as a former Gophers player who coached AAU basketball in the area. Saunders surely would hire his son on his staff at Minnesota, former Gopher and team radio analyst Spencer Tollackson said.

"I think he would make a great assistant," said Tollackson, who played with Ryan Saunders in AAU and at the U. "He's young enough to relate to the players and recruit. He could run an NBA practice when he was 12 years old. He's extremely knowledgeable of the game. He's extremely energetic."

But Teague just fired a father-son coaching team in Tubby and Saul Smith. Would he be willing to give Saunders a chance if others besides Smart decide the U isn't the right job for them?

"Flip is obviously well known in the state of Minnesota," Dutcher said. "I think he could relate to the high school kids. I think he'd do an excellent job of keeping the good Minnesota talent in Minnesota. I'd think he would be a good coach. I'm not saying he would be better than Shaka. But would I have any trouble recommending Flip Saunders if I had to? No. I think he'd do an excellent job."